Dyslexia Toolbox

Tips, tools, and strategies for helping struggling readers and students with dyslexia.

Welcome to Dyslexia Toolbox!
I’m Heidi—a certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner with over 20 years of experience helping struggling readers succeed. This blog is here to give you practical tools, tips, and encouragement for supporting students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or tutor, you'll find research-based strategies grounded in the Science of Reading to help your reader grow in confidence and skill.

If Your Child Doesn’t Love Reading Yet, Start Here: Help for Struggling Readers

If your child hates reading, you are not alone. Discover why focusing on a love of learning, not a love of reading, leads to real motivation and long-term success for struggling readers.

Heidi Lee

Dec 1, 20255 min read

Just Found Out Your Child Has Dyslexia? Here’s the Advice Your Future Self Wishes You Knew

What if, in the middle of your worry, you could sit with the wisest version of yourself—the 85-year-old you who has lived the whole story with your child? Someone who has seen the struggles, victories, tears, and breakthroughs, and knows what truly matters.

Heidi Lee

Nov 24, 20255 min read

What Can Push-Ups Teach Us About Helping a Struggling Reader Regain Confidence?

I never expected push-ups to teach me so much about helping struggling readers, but my own experience with a shoulder injury showed me just how important the right plan can be.

Heidi Lee

Nov 17, 20254 min read

Test Your Knowledge: Can You Tell Dyslexia Facts from Myths?

Take this quiz to test your knowledge about dyslexia facts versus myths.

Heidi Lee

Nov 10, 20254 min read

Does Your Child Miss Sounds in Words When They Read or Spell? Here's Help!

The strategies in this post are supported by the Science of Reading. Studies show that tools like Elkonin boxes, or phoneme/ grapheme mapping help children hear each sound in a word before matching it to letters. This process builds strong phonemic awareness and improves both reading and spelling skills.

Heidi Lee

Nov 4, 20254 min read

How Can I Help My Dyslexic Child Become a More Fluent Reader?

Fluency is more than reading fast. It is reading smoothly, accurately, and with expression. For children with dyslexia, fluency can feel like the final step after decoding words. This article explains why fluency matters, how tracking progress can boost confidence, and simple, research-backed strategies you can try at home. From baseline readings to echo, partner, and choral reading, you will learn step-by-step ways to help your child read more naturally.

Heidi Lee

Oct 28, 20255 min read

I Feel So Lost. Where Do I Even Start Learning About Dyslexia?

Just found out your child has dyslexia? Feeling lost is normal. This guide walks parents through practical resources and strategies to support their child with confidence and hope.

Heidi Lee

Oct 21, 20253 min read

A Mom wondering if her child has dyslexia

Does My Child Have Dyslexia or Are They Just a Late Reader?

If your child is struggling with reading, you might ask yourself, ‘Are they just a late reader, or could this be dyslexia?’ Knowing the difference can help you act early and set them up for success.

Heidi Lee

Oct 13, 20254 min read

Is More Reading Enough to Help Struggling Readers Build Essential Skills?

Is "more reading" really the answer for struggling readers? In the education world, many believe that simply reading more will lead to better reading skills. I held this belief firmly for a large portion of my teaching career. When I taught fourth grade, I dedicated two hours daily for my students to read across all subjects, including novels, reading groups, social studies, and science. While my high-performing students flourished, my low-performing students struggled to sh

Heidi Lee

Sep 17, 20253 min read

What to Do When Your Child Doesn’t Believe They Need Tutoring

Understanding and Engaging Resistant Students It can be incredibly frustrating to work with a child who doesn’t believe they need tutoring—especially when you see their potential and know how far they’ve come. For some students, particularly those who struggle with reading or have learning disabilities, this belief can be a significant barrier to progress. I’ve had this experience firsthand, working with a student who consistently told me, “I already know how to read.” Even t

Heidi Lee

Sep 20, 20245 min read

Should My Child Be Evaluated for Dyslexia?

The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity defines dyslexia as “an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader.” Many parents suspect their child might have dyslexia but often delay evaluations. Some schools or teachers may advise parents to wait until their child is older. They may suggest that the issue is developmental and that the child will 'grow out of it.' Unfortunately, research doesn't support this advice.

Heidi Lee

Aug 23, 20243 min read

Effective Strategies for Helping Kids Overcome b and d Reversals

Are b and d reversals a sign of dyslexia? Trouble with b and d reversals is common and does not necessarily indicate dyslexia. While dyslexia is related to phonological processing, b/d reversals are more about visual perception and shape recognition. However, many students with dyslexia do experience challenges with b and d reversals. Which intervention is most effective? There are many interventions you can try to address this issue, but it's important to remember that diffe

Heidi Lee

Aug 9, 20245 min read

How do I help my child who constantly sounds out words letter by letter?

You have probably asked this question if your reader is struggling with blending (putting sounds together). In order to be fluent readers, we need to blend the sounds of a word together without stopping between sounds. We call this continuous blending. While this comes naturally to many readers, those struggling with it often need explicit instruction. What is continuous blending? If your child is still in the early stages of learning to read, then it is fairly normal to sou

Heidi Lee

Aug 12, 20234 min read

How do we help students learn those tricky irregular words?

People use many terms when talking about irregular words: high-frequency words, sight words, and trick words. In order to know how best to help students with these words, let’s first clarify the terms. High-frequency Words High-frequency words are the words most commonly found in the English language. Most people use the Dolch or Fry lists when teaching these words. These words can be regular, like “big” or irregular like “look”. Sight Words Sight words are words that student

Heidi Lee

Jul 11, 20234 min read

What are Common Misconceptions about Structured Literacy?

What is Structured literacy anyway? Structured literacy seems to be a buzzword today but not everyone understands what it means. It is a term coined by the International Dyslexia Association. It is an evidence-based approach to teaching reading and language that is based on reading, learning, and brain research. Isn't Structured Literacy just about phonics? The first common misconception about Structured Literacy is that it is just another phonics program. According to the I

Heidi Lee

Mar 12, 20233 min read